Number of years participating in the Festival?This is my sixth year pouring as East Forty Brewing. My wife and I volunteered in 2012, but I wasn’t yet kegging at that point to be able to serve my own beer.

When did you start brewing? What got you brewing? How frequently do you brew? A kit with all the standard starter equipment was purchased for me by my wife back in 2011. I loved beer, making things, and my wife correctly assumed I needed another hobby. Fast forward to today, and some months I may brew up to 3-4 times, but on average probably once a month.

Describe your brew system.

I recently upgraded to an electric 1/2 barrel Spike Brewing system. This is a standard 3 vessel system (hot liquor tank, mash tun, and boil kettle) with 20 gallon capacities, powered by electric heating elements, controlled by a central control panel. With the addition of a cedar exhaust hood I built with a high output fan for exhausting the vapor, this new system allowed me to bring my operation inside to my basement for comfortable year-round brewing.

How did you come up with your brewery’s name? Prior to Nanobrew Fest 2013, I decided I needed to come up with a brewery name that I not only liked at the time, but thought I may be able to continue to use one day if I ever decided to “go pro”. After kicking around a few ideas influenced by my location out in Blue Springs, I decided on East Forty. East refers to our location out on the east side of the metro area. Forty has sort of a dual meaning, first referring to highway 40 that bisects Blue Springs, but secondly referring to forty acres, a quarter-quarter section, which is a common parcel size for rural property. My original logo was a person lounging in a hammock strung between two trees, enjoying a beer, which I felt embodied the recreation and a slower pace of life found out away from the city. We’re currently in the process of finalizing a new logo (version pictured), which incorporates a quarter section subdivided in a unique way, illustrating the ‘east forty’ parcel.

What is your favorite style of beer to brew?

I’ve got a few favorites, but I’m a sucker for a great stout, and tend to at least have one at every Nanobrew Fest. I also really enjoy the wide array of flavors that can be created in saisons.

What was your first beer you ever brewed? Did it turn out?The first beer I ever brewed was an Irish Red extract beer that came with the original equipment kit. It actually turned out pretty decent!

Do you have a homebrew disaster you’d like to share?

Nothing crazy like some of the stories I’ve read. The worst that happened in the early days was pulling out some cases that had been tucked away under the kitchen table for a couple months to find that some bottles had exploded, leaving broken glass in the cases and a big dried moldy spot in the carpet underneath. I chalked this up to improperly mixing the priming sugar prior to bottling, resulting in some bottles carbonating way too much, while others were under carbonated.

Do you have a favorite homebrew trick or gadget that helps make brewing better/easier? Pumps. If you’re homebrewing and not using one yet, they’re a game changer.

Anything unique participants at the festival can expect if they come by your booth? I’ll have a whopping five beers this year, including a barrel aged version of my oatmeal stout. We’ll also be taking entries for some swag giveaways!

Have you won any awards/competitions? What is the best prize you won?I’ve participated and won medals in a handful of competitions, generally those associated with the Nanobrew Fest over the past few years. At my first Nanofest participating in 2013 I was awarded bronze medals for both of the beers I brought, a coffee stout and an American red ale, quite an encouraging prize for my first competition and festival!

Do you have any plans to go pro? When? Where?

As a matter of fact, I do… We’re working on bringing a much needed brewery to the Blue Springs area in early 2018! Follow us on social media, and sign up for our email list to stay up to date with developments.